What's changed? What went wrong?

I grew up in 'poverty'. We shared bedrooms, I wore trousers that were too small or too big (hand-me-downs from my brother - or items I would 'grow into'). We never had expensive video games and the govt didn't provide us with 'activities' - all we had was the local park (which we loved!).

Yet we never dreamt of rioting or looting. (Yes we were afraid of our father!).

So what's changed or what's gone wrong?

Is it society? Culture? Or both?

What do you think? Where's it all gone wrong? If the kids think they're entitled to everything WHY do they think that?

The biggest difference I can think of is this whole pop/rap culture/lifestyle/bling that's made its way over from the US - and the associated 'cool' and 'must have' brands and gadgets.

We never had anything like that back then - have the marketeers done too good a job? And anyone without now feels 'incomplete' or lacking or less of a person? So much so that they have to go rob others?

Or are these the children of the screwed up people who should never have been parents in the first place? Ticking time-bombs from the start?

Or are they all mind-numbed by all the crap they eat?

Maybe it's a bit of everything...

Probably a lot of reasons. I was poor as a child, but I was brought up to work for what I need, I have never been on the dole and hope I never need it. I know some people do from genuine need, but increasingly it seems people feel a sense of entitlement and expect things handed to them. I don't know exactly where they get that idea from, but it's dangerous. I didn't 'get' opportunities (as is one reason supposedly for the rioting), I worked hard and tried hard in school.

There are still more people not taking part in the riots than those that are. Also on the flip side many are out there clearing up the mess the rioters are creating.
I think it's too easy to generalise but mostly it's easier to nick what you want than to work your ar$e off for it.
I don't subscribe to the lack of jobs, disaffected youf etc the company my son works for are always recruiting but most young lads don't like getting in to work at 5 am every day, working their butt off, being told what to do and getting home knackered and filthy, no matter how good the pay is.

I think much of it is that the do-gooders have spoilt it!! Everyone knows that there are no consequences anymore as it will be against their 'human rights'!!

I would never dare to speak to the police the way some of the kids nowadays do and what do they get?? Nothing a 'warning' at most! As a kid I respected authority and was petrified of being dragged home by my ear by the police if I misbehaved.

Why shouldn't they misbehave when there's nothing stopping them? Each generation has slowly got worse until we're in the state we are now

Decent people daren't let their kids out for fear of what may happen - I can remember as a kid going out after breakfast and not coming in until tea - no mobiles etc we made our own entertainment.

Nowadays too many kids are having kids with no idea how to be a good parent (I'm generalising here guys!!) As a foster carer I see loads of kids in care as their young parents can't teach their kids the right way, for instance, when their two year old has a tantrum in the supermarket for sweets or whatever they give in 'to keep the peace' or because 'they can't be bothered' this teaches the kids that the louder they shout or more violent they get the quicker they get what they want until as a teen they have reached the point of hitting their parents in their 'tantrums' to get their own way! Had they stuck to their guns at 2yrs old these kids would learn no means no !! The tantrums are all stages of their brains development, standing firm teaches them respect and the boundaries give them a feeling of safety. Human babies are the only mammal born completley helpless and it is up to us as decent human beings to teach our kids the right way and in a lot of cases this just isn't happening.

I think it is an amalgamation of lots of things really.

I think that the bleak economic situation is a big factor in what is going on at the minute. There are cuts going on left, right and centre, we have thousands of people losing their jobs, people losing their houses, kids having to get in debt to go to uni to get a job and then coming out of uni and not being able to get a job anyway, house prices rising to a ridiculous rate and then falling suddenly so people feel 'trapped' in a house that isn't worth the mortgage they're paying on it. Then factor in the current distrust in our government (The expenses scandal didn't help) and the banks and you've got tonnes of social unrest and disillusionment. It's just a recipe for disaster.

Then you've got the issue you brought up Azz, where we have this culture of mass consumerism and a 'want it now' throwaway society which doesn't gel well with our current economic situation and it just makes everything ten times worse.

I think its a mixture of things. Kids seem to have had it drummed into them that they are entitled to things without making any effort or working for them. It seems many of them have got what they want from having a tantrum when they were little and its continued through life but on to a bigger scale ie these riots. That's all they seem to me, grown young adults having a tantrum because they are not getting what they want from life.

Also you don't seem to be able to punish anyone for their wrong doing any more, so people get the mentality from a young age that they can do what the hell they like and they wont be punished for it. And they are right, they wont be punished as 'human rights' take priority over justice. What about the human rights of the victims to their crimes?

To me kids now grow up so interested in other peoples lives, mostly people on tv ( celebs) that they seem to believe thats real life and they should live like it. In reality life isnt like that but they dont seem to realise it and so get frustrated, feel angry, removed from reality from the state of their own lives. It makes some of them try to be something they are not, you only have to look at some white kids who talk and act like they are black. That's not being racist, it is realistic to say some black people say/act different to white people, its just cultural difference. Some black people dont naturally act like the stereotypical black person ( rapper/ gangster types) but feel they have to as they dont feel comfortable/ have their own identities.
In all IMO its all about self esteem and respect, they have none!

I don't want to oversimplify, but I really do believe that the problems are down to just one thing.....

Lack of discipline.

There's no deterrent to put people off committing crimes, so they may as well do exactly as they like.

.... and that is exactly what one of the little bratts said when being interviewed live on Sky News at 9.30 pm last night He actually said that We can do what we like, take what we like, coz the police can't do anything innit! We could ALL do this actually, the police wouldn't be able to cope if we did, just like they couldn't the night before last, but thankfully, the majority don't want to live in a society like that, so we don't!

No discipline, no morals, no fear, no hope, no money, no job, no nuffink! I agree with all your reasons Azz, and had to smile about the c*ap they eat, but you can't blame McDonalds, only the lazy parents!!!

They all want the easy route, because that's the environment most of them live in at home, they know no different I suppose. The income for the household is handed to them on a plate, so the kids think everything comes for free!

I still say National Service would sort them out, they still do this in European countries don't they, I know they do in Spain and Turkey so why not here, it could be the answer?

We were taught to respect other people, particularly those older than ourselves, and other people's property.

We were taught to do as we were told, particularly by those older than ourselves.

We were taught that we had to work for the things we wanted, not wait for them to be handed to us on a plate.

We were taught that stealing was a crime and that we would be punished for it.

We were taught that nothing was ours by right, but that it had to be earned.

Unfortunately none of these things appear to be taught any more, probably because many youngsters these days don't have to work for what they want, they know that for most crimes there is no punishment, they feel that they have rights to everything, no-one can tell them what to do or how to behave and they respect no-one and nothing.

I do believe that there are a great many good young people out there and that these rioters are just a minority, but sadly a minority that is making life hell for the majority. Until we start to teach children respect again, I fear we can only expect more of the same.